The Ferguson Four

the beach - we could get used to this!

2011-06-08T21:34:00.003-04:00

We Heart The Ocean!

2011-06-07T19:31:00.000-04:00

Sail Away

2011-06-07T19:27:00.000-04:00

Sailing on the Atlantic. . . doesn't get much better!

Last Day of School

2011-06-01T19:26:00.000-04:00

Cade's last day as a 3rd Grader!

Strawberries

2011-05-23T07:23:00.001-04:00

Quinn chose to plant Strawberries in "his garden" this year. He finally got his first one!

Lunch Surprise

2011-05-13T19:22:00.000-04:00

Quinn and I surprise Cade today and took him lunch! It was a beautiful day and we were able to eat outside in the school's courtyard.

Easter

2011-04-24T07:12:00.000-04:00

We love Easter at our house. . . not just for the Eggs and Baskets, but for what it MEANS!

Zoo Day

2011-04-18T19:05:00.005-04:00

Quinn and I had a great day at the zoo with friends from our MOPS group!

Lego Store - Grand Opening

2011-04-09T19:00:00.000-04:00

What's that, you ask? Two tired, but incredibly excited boys! They got up EARLY to head to the Lego Store Grand Opening! We arrived 2 hours before the store opened to stand in line! They had a great time, and loved being a part of it! They also got to take part in the building of a huge Buzz Lightyear!

Chicago - Spring Break

2011-04-07T06:56:00.000-04:00

A fun trip to Chicago! We hit our favorites: All Aboard Diner, Rainforest Cafe, Legoland Discovery Center & Casa De Stubbe! (Thanks for entertaining us Stubbe family!!)

Spencer

2011-04-05T06:54:00.000-04:00

Having some fun with my new iPhone App called Instagram. It can make even the most simple pictures look great!

Hurricane Expert

2011-03-24T18:53:00.000-04:00

Cade has been working hard on his Hurricane Project for school! So proud of him. He works hard and it pays off!

Fun at the Children's Museum

2011-03-06T18:45:00.001-05:00

We had a fun day at The Children's Museum today! It had been a while since we had visited. Quinn even got to hang out with his friend, Cade (yep, 2 Cades! We call them big Cade and little Cade!!). Great day for us!

Fancy Party

2011-01-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

One of Quinn's best friends, Madelyn, had a "Fancy Nancy" birthday party today. Instructions were to come "fancy". We aren't fancy people, and even at church rarely get more dressy than jeans! So, this was a stretch for us!

This was Q being a little silly before we left for the party!

These are the "Fancy" accessories he received when he got to the party.

Here is Quinn and the "Fancy" Birthday Girl.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T06:49:00.001-05:00

Seasonal Chic Noir Holiday Card

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Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T22:50:00.000-05:00

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-21T22:46:00.004-05:00

Thanks Williams & Sonoma for making our cookie baking experience so easy!!

OTES Treble Choir

2010-12-10T06:53:00.000-05:00

Check out the handsome dude in the back row! Cade's school choir, the Oak Trace Treble Choir, sang at the Indiana State Museum today! It was a packed house! It was standing room only for their choir. Of course I believe the crowd favorite was the popular "Hot-Hot-Hot Chocolate" song made famous by Polar Express!

SNOW!!!

2010-12-04T22:40:00.002-05:00

We LOVE the snow! Our whole family does. It's why we can never move south!! This was one of the best snow days! It was a Saturday, so no school, just hours of outside fun! Poor Michael missed it all, he was in Sunny California. (Some of you may think that's a blessing!) The boys came in to get ready for church and their cheeks were RED from being out for so long. :(

PS- No worries about the young man they are attacking! That's Andrew, our wonderful neighbor boy, who my kids A-D-O-R-E!

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

2010-11-30T17:30:00.000-05:00

If any of you haven't checked this out. . . it's quite amazing. Wish I had been there to witness it! :)

The Newest Addition to The Ferguson Family

2010-11-07T09:38:00.003-05:00

Meet Spencer! He's the newest addition to our family. He was found wandering around on East Washington Street! (Yikes!) He was then taken to the pound, where after 3 weeks the great people at Lucky Dog Retreat rescued him and put him up for adoption. That's where we found him! He's a sweetie. He, Murphy and the two-legged children (Cade and Quinn) are all getting along nicely!

Fall Fun

2010-11-01T20:54:00.000-04:00

Every fall, the question comes. . . when will Grandpa have his big leaf pile!!

Halloween

2010-10-31T21:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween from Luke Skywalker and Fireman Sam.

Pumpkin Pickin'

2010-10-30T21:15:00.001-04:00

Because of our vacation, we got to the pumpkin patch a little late this year, so we had slim pickin's! But, we had fun on a very chilly morning!

Stonycreek Pumpkin Farm

2010-10-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

Quinn and I met some of our MOPS friends at Stonycreek Pumpkin Farm today. We had a great time and four boys on a hayride is always a trip!

Our Disney Vacation

2010-10-23T21:36:00.000-04:00

Here are just a few of our many Disney pictures! The boys had a great time and so did we. . . but we are exhausted! Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween was great fun again this year and the boys loved Trick-or-Treating at the Magic Kingdom.

Quinn's Tumbling Class

2010-09-21T21:26:00.000-04:00

Quinn loves his weekly tumbling class. I finally got around to taking my camera to capture him in motion!

All Smiles

2010-09-13T12:47:00.000-04:00

We met some friends at the park this morning. I snapped these while we were there!

Safety Day

2010-08-28T12:45:00.000-04:00

Quinn and I went to Westfield's Safety Day. He was SOOOOOOO excited to see all the fire trucks. I mean honestly. Quinn's my little talker, but he was in AWE! When he realized that the man that was helping him in the fire truck was an actual Fireman, he was speechless. He turned into this quiet, shy little guy. Then the Fireman asked if he wanted to go to the cab up top on the back of the big ladder truck. He was so excited! But, (and I have to say, this was almost a tear jerker for me) when he saw the fireman's jacket I could tell what he wanted. He waited until the fireman wasn't looking and looked at me and pointed at it. I asked him what he wanted and he pointed to the jacket again. I said, you need to use your words. . .do you want to put it on? "Yes." He said, all quiet! I told him to go ask, but he was so shy he couldn't! So, I asked for him. Needless to say, it was priceless, and I am SO glad I had my camera!

Boo Boo (Part II)

2010-08-27T12:38:00.000-04:00

See what I mean about the band-aids on the face?

Quinn's Lego Fire Station

2010-08-21T12:37:00.000-04:00

For those of you that know the story, please excuse me as I retell to those interested parties. So Quinn had birthday money left from his birthday. One day we were at Target in the lego section, and he asked if he could buy a lego firetruck. I told him yes, that we could get his birthday money from home and the next time we came to Target, we would get his firetruck. Well, we got his money, and returned. I picked up the lego firetruck I THOUGHT he wanted. $20. Perfect. Oh no. . . He said. "Not that one. . . THAT one." As he is pointing to the $80 deluxe fire STATION with 2 TRUCKS. Whew. Needless to say I ended up getting it for him. I had to shell out 1/2, but the poor kid gets all of Cade's old toys, and we rarely buy him something new. So, I had to splurge on him. He plays with this thing CONSTANTLY! Well worth my $40!

Finger-Painting Fun!

2010-08-18T12:27:00.000-04:00

Boo-Boo

2010-08-11T12:29:00.000-04:00

He said he had a boo boo, but he didn't he just thinks he's cool when he has band-aids on his face!! :)

First Day of 3rd Grade

2010-08-10T21:28:00.000-04:00

Cade was super excited to start school. He was so VERY happy when he found out that Mr. Hundley was going to be his teacher this year. On the other hand, Quinn was not so pleased that 1) Cade was leaving for school, 2) That he couldn't go with him, 3) That he couldn't ride the bus and 4) That there was no need for him to wear his backpack. Not sure if you can see it in the picture, but if you look in the left windows, there is the little booger. . . watching his big bro go to school!

Conner Prairie

2010-08-06T21:29:00.000-04:00

We just love our visits to Conner Prairie.

Fun with Madelyn

2010-08-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

I took Quinn and his friend Madelyn out for a day of fun to celebrate his birthday (a little late, but he was excited to get another party)! We went to Monkey Joe's and McDonalds!!

Fair Oaks Farm

2010-07-27T21:35:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at Fair Oaks Farm (apart from the heat and it was crowded). We saw a baby cow in the process of being born, saw the whole farm operation, tasted some great grilled cheese, milk and ice cream and had a great time with the Dettmans, Hartwigs and Stubbes! Can't wait to return sometime this fall!

Incredible Birthday!

2010-07-25T08:17:00.001-04:00

My friend Melissa told me about The Incredible Pizza Company (thanks Mel) so we decided to head there on Quinn's birthday! He got to spin a wheel for a free prize, eat pizza and ice cream and play games. . . he was in heaven!! We all had a great time!

Wonderlab Museum

2010-07-14T16:22:00.001-04:00

We had THE BEST time at WonderLab Museum in Bloomington! The boys LOVED every minute of it. . . from their room dedicated to bubbles. . . the water area. . . science using air. . .animals. . .I could go on and on and on!!!

Rock Star Date

2010-07-10T16:17:00.000-04:00

Cade and I had a date this Saturday! We went to the Children's Museum to catch the Rock Star exhibit. Very cool. Cade loved all the Gene Simmons/KISS memorabilia. We also caught the "All-Star Weekend" Concert for free! Can't beat that! Cade's quote of the day:

After seeing Michael Jackson's outfit in the Rock Star exhibit. Cade: Did he have 2 robotic hands?
Me: Why do you ask that?
Cade: Well, I see there are 2 gloves on that outfit. I thought he only had one robotic hand.
Me: Huh?
Cade: He always wore that glove to cover his robotic hand right?
Me: No, he just thought wearing a glove was cool.
Cade: Why?
Me: I have no idea!
Cade: Oh, ok!

Carmelfest Parade

2010-07-05T16:11:00.000-04:00

This year's Carmelfest Parade was on July 5th (??????????) and was so miserably HOT that we weren't the only ones leaving early! We did stop by DQ for some cold ice cream. Quinn's face (below) says it all!

Fun on the Fourth

2010-07-04T16:09:00.000-04:00

My favorite holiday is the 4th of July. Nothing like celebrating our country's birth and our freedom.

Play-Doh

2010-06-30T09:35:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when Daddy and the boys play with play-doh. . . they create the Sponge-Bob characters!!

Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

2010-06-27T09:40:00.000-04:00

We had such a fun day with my college buddy, Michelle, and my God-Son, Trevan. We almost cancelled our trip because it was supposed to rain all day, but I'm so glad we didn't. There wasn't a drop of rain, and we had a great day at the zoo! Thanks for spending your day with us, Michelle and Trevan!

Conner Prairie

2010-06-24T09:47:00.000-04:00

We had a fun day at Conner Prairie! We took Grandpa M with us! Cade got to dip candles the old fashioned way, and Quinn had his time with the goats. . .so he was in heaven! I think I'm going to nickname him "The Goat Whisperer". Wherever we go. . . if there are goats, he flocks to them, and they to him!

Toy Story 3

2010-06-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

We went to see Toy Story 3 on opening day. We were all so excited, and once again the folks at Disney/Pixar did not disappoint. We loved every minute of it! This was Quinn's first official movie and he was thrilled! :)

Swim Lessons

2010-06-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

We took swim lessons from Lawson's again and both the boys loved it! It was amazing to see how much Cade had progressed in just one year. Quinn had a fun time, but always told them that the didn't want to get his face wet. . . .well that doesn't quite work in swimming!!

Cade is 9!!

2010-06-14T10:09:00.000-04:00

I can't believe he's already 9!! Here are some pictures from some of his birthday celebrations. . . the boy now has a guitar and a BB gun. What 9 year old wouldn't be thrilled???! Happy Birthday Little Man. . . Yes, you'll always be my "Little Man", even when you are bigger than me!

Quinn

2010-05-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last Day of Second Grade

2010-05-28T08:58:00.000-04:00

Talent Show

2010-05-26T08:56:00.000-04:00

Cade played the Star Wars Theme Song for his school's talent show today!! He did a wonderful job! So proud!

Packin' Up!

2010-05-14T08:53:00.000-04:00

With football targets as hats, and every outdoor toy we have, loaded in the back of the Gator. . . Quinn and Matthew are ready to travel!

Quinn and Matthew

2010-04-21T08:22:00.000-04:00

Quinn and his buddy, Matthew.

Quick Chicago Trip

2010-04-07T22:17:00.000-04:00

We took a quick trip to Chicago over Spring Break. We stopped at the Albanese Candy Factory, Legoland Discovery Center, Rainforest Cafe, All Aboard Diner and spent a day with the Stubbes!!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T19:02:00.000-04:00

Just like every year, the boys had a great time coloring Easter Eggs and seeing their buckets full on Easter morning!

Cade's Animal Project

2010-03-30T22:58:00.000-04:00

All 2nd graders had to choose an animal to research and do a project on. Cade chose the Tasmanian Devil. He wrote a song, did a clay sculpture and made up a game! Tonight was Safari Night at the school and they all displayed their information boards and answered questions about their animals! He did a great job!

Time Out

2010-03-24T23:02:00.000-04:00

I had to take a picture of this. Quinn put Batman in a time out. He wouldn't tell me what he did wrong. . .but he was certainly in there for a good reason!

Lego BrickMasters

2010-03-14T22:59:00.001-04:00

Cade was in heaven at the Lego Brickmasters event downtown. He even saw the Death Star. . . which is his dream. In fact. . . I do believe he said it was the best day of his life! :)

Messy Quinn

2010-03-09T22:58:00.000-05:00

He's ALWAYS into something!

Goggles

2010-02-05T09:43:00.000-05:00

Quinn got ahold of Cade's swim goggles and has been wearing them everywhere we go!

Life Changing

2009-12-28T18:14:00.000-05:00

About a week before Christmas we were all in the car driving and Michael asked Cade what his favorite Christmas present that he has ever received has been. To be honest, I can't remember what his answer even was because he followed it with this. . . "But I'm really excited about what I asked Santa for this year." (Star Wars the Clone Wars: The Complete Season 1) Michael asked him why he's so excited. "Because what I asked for this year. . . it's gonna change my life."

Thankfully, Santa delivered. . . not sure if it's changed his life yet or not?!

Christmas Traditions

2009-12-25T18:01:00.001-05:00

Here are some of our Christmas Traditions. . . Baking Christmas Cookies
. . . .Christmas Pajamas . . . Setting Out Cookies For Santa!

Fun in the Snow

2009-12-22T18:10:00.000-05:00

Cade Skywalker

2009-12-19T17:32:00.001-05:00

Cade has wanted a set of Star Wars Encyclopedias for over a year now. We told him that if he wanted them badly, he needed to save his own money to buy them. Today, he received some Christmas money in the mail that brought him up to the grand total of the books. ($125.00 . . . can you believe it?) Michael took him to get this 3 volume (1190 pages) set that has every (and yes, I do mean every) thing you would ever imagine wanting to know about Star Wars inside. And look what we found right there on page 163 of volume 3. . . .apparently somewhere after the saga of movies ends, the story continues in books and Luke Skywalker's lineage includes a Cade Skywalker. . . who knew?!

Cade's Recital

2009-12-19T17:27:00.000-05:00

Cade had his piano recital today. We were so proud of him. He played 2 versions of Silent Night and didn't miss a note!

Taking his bow. . .

Disney On Ice

2009-12-05T17:24:00.000-05:00

We took the boys to Disney on Ice today. We were hoping there would be a big Toy Story showing since Quinn is very into them right now. The first half was very heavy on the princesses, so Cade and Quinn weren't thrilled, but we had popcorn and pretzels, so they coped! Right at the end, Buzz, Woody and the gang made a showing! It's a good thing. . . Quinn was about to fall asleep!

Say Payyyyers

2009-12-04T17:21:00.000-05:00

So today, I was busy rushing around getting lunch ready. I had received 2 phone calls in the process, and by the time I got lunch on the table, I was ready to eat and proceded to do so. Quinn kept looking at me saying "Say Payyyers, Mommy". I couldn't figure out what he was saying. I kept throwing out guesses, and he kept saying, "No, Mommy. Say Payyyyers." Finally, I got it. . . ."Say Prayers"! Thank goodness my 2-year old keeps me in check!

Visiting Santa

2009-12-04T08:08:00.003-05:00

Last night we took Cade and Quinn to see Santa! We were just sure that Quinn would scream and throw some sort of fit if we tried to put him on Santa's lap. But boy were we wrong!
In the second picture, Cade wanted to be sure Santa knew EXACTLY what he wanted! There's no room for error on this!

Fall Fun

2009-11-10T11:56:00.000-05:00

Cade has always enjoyed jumping in the leaves. Last year was Quinn's first year, and he was terrified. So we were very excited that he enjoyed it so much this year! My parents had bagged up most of their leaves, but emptied them out into a big pile for the boys to play in (something they admit they never would have done for me - and I totally don't blame them!!). They had a great time tossing leaves on one another and seeing how far they could jump into the pile!

Quinn's (2nd) Dentist Appointment

2009-11-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

It's the curse of the second child. . . .Mom forgets to take the camera to your FIRST dentist appointment, so you have to settle for pictures of your SECOND dentist appointment!! Quinn did a great job for the hygenist and Dr. Ana (much better than he does for us here at home). He checked out A-ok with no cavities and got to pick something out of the secret treasure chest because he was such a good boy! We love Fisher's Pediatric Dentistry! The staff there are just wonderful and they are so patient with our kids. They even provide sunglasses (as modeled by Cade in the last picture) so that the light doesn't hurt your eyes!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T07:12:00.001-05:00

We had a great night Trick-or-Treating. Quinn didn't quite get the fact you are supposed to say "Trick-or-Treat", so he went around just saying "Candy" all night! He was THRILLED. Cade was so excited to get to spend another Halloween with Michael and Luke, his buddies!

Stuckey Farm

2009-10-23T09:33:00.002-04:00

The boys and I headed to Stuckey Farm and their pumpkin patch on Thursday. We arrived early, so we were the only ones in the whole patch! The boys had a great time walking around and looking at all the pumpkins. The lady bugs were out in full force, so they got most of Quinn's attention!

Gatlinburg Trip

2009-10-23T08:52:00.002-04:00

We recently spent a long weekend in Gatlinburg, TN with The Dettmans and Frenchs. (No kiddos, just adults.) We had a great time. Our first night down there, Michael and I stayed in Knoxville and had a great dinner with Trevor, Jamie and Landry Beaver. It was nice to sit and relax and talk after a long drive! The next morning after heading to The University of Tennessee to capture a picture of "Peyton Manning Pass" (below) for Cade, we headed to the Pigeon Forge/Sevierville/Gatlinburg area. We had a great weekend. The girls hit the spa and tea room while the boys golfed, we had some great dinners out. Michael and I went horseback riding. But one of the highlights for me, was seeing a mama bear and baby bear in their natural habitat. . . Smoky Mtn. National Park. I couldn't believe how close they came to the car! AMAZING!
Peyton Manning Pass.

Michael's horse. . . "Nellie", and my horse. . . "Daisy"!

The friendly bears!

Dina, Jenn and I at the Wild Plum Tea Room. . . which was FABULOUS!

Quinn's "Locked In" Adventure

2009-09-19T20:33:00.000-04:00

We have a closet in our basement where we keep games, a refrigerator, etc. It has a lock on it because Michael's work supplies are inside another closet within the first. . .I know, it's weird. Anyhow, Quinn frequently goes into this closet, pulls out some cans or bottles from the fridge and plays in there. I didn't think anything of it until I went in to take care of some things. I knew he was in there, and had only been inside the closet for a few minutes. When I went to go in, it was locked. He had locked the dead-bolt AND the handle. We have a key to the dead-bolt, but not the handle. I tried to get him to unlock it, but he just kept trying to open the door, not unlock it! First thought: panic. So, I screamed for Michael and he came running. We tried to figure out any way to get him out quickly, but couldn't think of anything. Cade was VERY upset by now, thinking that he would never see his brother again, and he starts crying. I start praying! Michael asks me to get a screw driver and hammer and procedes to remove the door from it's hinges. The whole time, we were only hoping that it would work since both locks were locked. It took a while, but he did get it off. We kept hearing Quinn say "Hold You!" (Which in Quinn-speak means "Hold Me!") So, we knew he wanted out, but who did we find, cool as a cucumber, in there when the door came off? Quinn. . .just sitting there. . .with MURPHY! Poor Dog! He didn't know what he was getting into when he went in there! I took Quinn upstairs and Cade was so upset, but once he saw that little brother of his, he was visibly relieved. I grabbed my camera and caught this picture of the 2 of them. . . and then Michael putting the door back on! Oh. . . I did fail to mention that poor Quinn endured all of this while suffering a pretty high fever. He's a trooper!

Cade's First Colts Game

2009-09-16T12:59:00.000-04:00

We took Cade to his first Colts game this past week. Jaguars vs Colts. He had a great time, and loved finding his favorite players on the field as they played! I don't know how many times he said "There's Peyton Manning!"

Sleepy Time

2009-08-31T20:17:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness Murphy is such a gentle dog! Michael, Cade and I were sitting down talking and Quinn was sitting on the couch in his own world. I realized that he had gotten very quiet, I looked at him and this is what I saw. . .
He was totally asleep and Murphy was laying there so patiently!

Cade and Quinn

2009-08-29T21:32:00.005-04:00

Our friend Lexi took pictures of the boys. I can't believe that Cade is already 8 and Quinn is 2. Time flies. These boys bring us so much joy. Here are some of our favorites. To see more of Lexi's amazing work, check out her blog!

"Bug in my nose!"

2009-08-27T23:02:00.000-04:00

Poor Quinn, he has been so stuffed up recently. His nose has been running, and when he lays down he starts coughing. So, sleep has been sparse and restless when it does come. Today when he was getting up from his nap, he kept hitting his nose.

Me: What's wrong with your nose?

Quinn: I got a bug in my nose.

Me: A bug?

Quinn: I got a bug. . . in my nose. (Still hitting his nose.)

Me: Quinn, I think it might be a booger!

Quinn: No, it a bug!

After blowing his nose, the mysterious "bug" was gone!

First Day of Second Grade

2009-08-11T18:14:00.000-04:00

Although I had to drag him out of bed (literally), he was still excited to get to school and see his friends and his teacher, Miss Stout!

Crazy Cake Day

2009-08-10T18:11:00.001-04:00

We missed our annual "Crazy Cake Day" by a few days, but we didn't want to let it pass us by completely! This was my attempt at a Rocket. The boys liked it. . .don't look too closely though!

Colts Training Camp

2009-08-03T18:04:00.000-04:00

We had SO much fun at Colts Training Camp. It's not every day that you get this close to the players! Cade was loving watching everyone practice. Quinn liked it for a while, but was more interested in everything that was in the kid's area! Peyton throwing a pass.

Reggie catching one!

Cade on the giant Colts slide!

Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

2009-07-31T22:55:00.000-04:00

We went to Fort Wayne and spent the day with my cousin, Cari and her kids, Mallory and Michael. We had a great time! Thanks for such a great day Cari!

This is the Ostrich that tried to eat Quinn's shoe. Just ask him about it! He'll tell you! Quinn LOVED these goats. I couldn't get over it. He just kept going from goat to goat and having these very serious conversations with them! Below. . . well, this is Mallory and what she is doing I'm not sure, but every time I look at this picture I crack up laughing, so I had to include it! She was brushing this little goat and all of a sudden stopped and took a peek to see what was going on back there!

How do you get 4 kids to sit still and look at the camera at the same time. . .you don't! But, here is our best effort! Michael, Cade, Quinn and Mallory!

Touch-a-Truck

2009-07-29T23:09:00.000-04:00

The boys and I had fun at touch a truck (until Quinn threw a screaming fit because he threw his sucker on the ground and I wouldn't get him a new one). Here are a few photos! I thought Cade might be "too old" but he really enjoyed it!

Cade's favorite was probably this Hot Rod. He loved it. He tried to get the guy to fire it up for him, but he didn't convince him!

Quinn's Toddler Bed

2009-07-26T22:50:00.002-04:00

Tonight is Quinn's first night in a toddler bed. . . he is SUPER excited. It amazing how just changing one rail on the bed makes such a difference! We will see where he ends up in the morning!

Relaxation. . .

2009-07-25T22:18:00.000-04:00

After the rain passed and Quinn's bash was over, we spent some family time out in the backyard. It was relaxing and fun!

Quinn Is 2!!

2009-07-25T21:08:00.000-04:00

Quinn is 2! I can't believe it really. . . it seems like just yesterday that I held him for the first time in my arms. Michael said it best. . ."He loves life." Those of you that encounter him frequently, I think would second that! Here are some pictures from his celebration! Thanks to everyone that helped make his day extra special! We love you all!

Cade's Swimming Progress

2009-07-23T22:23:00.002-04:00

Two weeks ago, Cade could swim, and he did a great job, but he was convinced that his goggles were the reason why he could swim. If I took his goggles off, he got scared and wouldn't even try. He had the goggles that covered his nose and everything. He hated putting his face in the water without them on.

Flash ahead to the present. After 2 weeks of lessons to improve his confidence. . . this is just one of the many things he can do now!

Quinn's Latest Adventure. . .

2009-07-21T10:31:00.003-04:00

Cade's Day with Daddy

2009-07-11T10:24:00.001-04:00

Cade and Michael spent the morning and afternoon dowtown going to the National Swimming Championships and Walking With the Dinosaurs! They had a great time! They saw an American Record broken at the Swimming Championships. . . but I must say that I think the Dinosaurs left a bigger impression on Cade! He couldn't stop talking about it!

Fourth of July

2009-07-04T15:15:00.000-04:00

This Fourth was a little wet for us here! During The Fourth of July parade we were sprinkled on, but by the time our cookout rolled around, it was more of a cook-in! We made the best of it though and even got to go out and light some fireworks and sparklers during a break in the action!

Chicago Day 7 - The Children's Museum

2009-06-19T11:20:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. Here the boys are playing in the water room (raincoats provided!)

This is just the last of 3 levels of a ropes course that Cade completed. He loved it!

These boys are just like their Daddy. . . totally comfortable with microphone and guitar in hand!

Quinn driving an ambulance. . . scary!!

The whole trip, we "Dumped the Pump" (their slogan - not mine) and got around using the CTA. The boys loved riding the train every day, and finally on the last day I was able to get a shot of them! Cade's had all of the stops memorized in order (forward and backward) by the end of our trip.

Chicago Day 6 - The Museum of Science and Industry & The Sears Tower

2009-06-18T09:40:00.000-04:00

The Museum of Science and Industry is so much fun. I always loved going there as a kid, so I was so excited to take Cade. There are so many different things to look at and do.

The boys loved climbing up into this big tractor! After we finished up at the museum, we headed to the Sears Tower. Cade LOVED it! We were able to see the places that we had visited over the past few days! He was intimidated by the elevator ride at first, but it went so quickly that it didn't bother him at all. Quinn slept through the whole thing!

Chicago Day 5 - The Field Museum

2009-06-17T09:07:00.000-04:00

At the Field Museum, Cade and Michael went to see the special exhibit The Pirate Ship: The Whydah. Cade found out that there was a pirate on that boat that was only 9 years old. Which he thought was pretty cool.

The infamous "Sue".Quinn was a little disappointed, after a day at the zoo and a day at the aquarium, to find that none of the animals moved! He kept saying "Oh no!"
Cade standing in a dinosaur's footprint.

Chicago Day 4 - Shedd Aquarium

2009-06-16T08:08:00.000-04:00

Cade was itching to get to the aquarium. It's one of our family favorites. However, we were not aware that it was "free day". The line was INCREDIBLY long. Luckily, we had purchased the Chicago City Pass, and we didn't have to stand in line. We did however, have to battle the crowds once we got in. I don't know that I've ever been in a place so packed with people. Which meant no good pictures, but we made the best of it and had a good day.

Chicago Day 3 - Brookfield Zoo and All Aboard Diner

2009-06-15T15:01:00.000-04:00

We hit Brookfield Zoo on Day 3!

The kids had fun exploring a new zoo and even seeing animals that we don't have at our Indianapolis Zoo.

There was a special exhibit called Dinosaurs ALIVE. Cade really got into that one! There were animated Dinos that were "life sized". So we found out what it would be like to live in Dinosaur times!

The boys had fun in the Family Area playing Veterinarian.

Quinn's favorite animals were the more common "turtle" and "dog" . . . of course! We pay a small fortune to get into this zoo, and he'd be happy in his backyard!

The highlight of Cade's day was seeing this cute polar bear poop right in front of us. He is still laughing about it!

After wearing them out at the zoo, we headed to All Aboard Diner in Downer's Grove. This was a HUGE hit with these two "train-lovin' boys"! Thomas was playing on a big screen a train was constantly going around the restaurant, and our food was delivered via Choo-Choo! If you are ever in the area, we HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. The food was great and the entertainment for the boys was priceless. Not to mention they got to pull the train whistle on their way out!

Chicago Day 2 - Cade's Birthday Bash!

2009-06-14T13:22:00.000-04:00

After Legoland Discovery Center, we headed downtown for some quick refreshments at the Hershey Store, then walked the Magnificent Mile. Afterwards, we went to Rainforest Cafe to celebrate Cade's birthday with a VOLCANO!!! Our little boy is 8 today. . . !

Chicago Day 2 - Legoland Discovery Center

2009-06-14T07:35:00.004-04:00

Day 2 of our vacation was Cade's birthday, so his choice! Of course he wanted to go to the Legoland Discovery Center. He and Quinn had a great time! Pictures below include the sign to the bathrooms. . . which I thought was TOO cute! A model of the city of Chicago done in Legos. And Quinn and Cade with Lego R2-D2.

Chicago Day 1 - Adler Planetarium

2009-06-13T07:29:00.000-04:00

We vacationed this year in Chicago. Our first day there we spent at Adler Planetarium. Cade LOVED it. He has always loved outer space, but this really fueled his fascination.

Last Day of School!

2009-06-02T16:38:00.001-04:00

Cade and Mrs. Friermood.

Cade and best bud, Michael.

Cade was both sad and excited to see the last day of school. He's sad about not seeing his friends and Mrs. Friermood every day. But he's glad to start a summer full of fun! Here he is getting off the bus with popsicles from Mr. Dively in hand!

Shadow Dancing

2009-05-22T16:36:00.000-04:00

The other night Michael was swinging Quinn around and I caught a picture of their shadows on the wall.